CV0-004 Security Practice Question
A financial services firm runs containerized workloads on a managed Kubernetes service. Auditors require that no container can run as root, that privilege escalation is blocked, and that the policy is enforced at admission time without modifying existing deployment manifests. Which control best meets these requirements?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is treating runtime detection or audit logging as equivalent to admission-time enforcement, when only an admission controller can reject a non-compliant pod before it runs.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Configure a Pod Security Admission policy with the restricted profile applied to the target namespace.
Pod Security Admission enforces pod security standards when a pod is admitted, so the restricted profile prevents root execution and privilege escalation before the container starts. It applies at the namespace level, requiring no changes to deployment manifests. Logging, network policy, and runtime termination either observe or react rather than block, so they cannot satisfy a preventive admission-time mandate.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Deploy a runtime security agent that kills containers detected running with root privileges.
Why it's wrong here
Runtime detection and termination reacts after the container has already started with elevated privileges, creating a window of exposure. It also does not prevent privilege escalation attempts that occur before detection. The auditors require enforcement at admission time, so a reactive kill mechanism fails to meet the preventive control requirement even though it adds useful defense in depth.
- ✓
Configure a Pod Security Admission policy with the restricted profile applied to the target namespace.
Why this is correct
Pod Security Admission enforces pod security standards at admission time and the restricted profile blocks root execution, privilege escalation, and other unsafe capabilities. Applying it to the namespace enforces the policy without editing individual deployment manifests, and violations are rejected before the pod is created. This directly satisfies the auditor's enforcement and non-modification requirements.
- ✗
Enable the Kubernetes audit log and forward events to a SIEM for alerting on privileged containers.
Why it's wrong here
Audit logging provides visibility after the fact but does not prevent a privileged container from starting. The requirement is admission-time enforcement, and logging alone cannot block root execution or privilege escalation. A SIEM alert may prompt remediation, but the container would already be running with elevated permissions, which fails the auditor's preventive control expectation.
- ✗
Apply a network policy that denies egress traffic from containers running in the target namespace.
Why it's wrong here
Network policies control pod-to-pod and egress connectivity, not the security context under which a container process runs. Denying egress does not stop a container from starting as root or gaining privileges through setuid binaries. The control addresses lateral movement and data exfiltration, which are unrelated to the identity and privilege requirements stated by the auditors.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
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